Beef Rendang

If you were a faithful reader of my blog, you would have noticed by now that there has been a lack of food posts recently. Well, it isn't that I am not trying out new food and stuff but sometimes, I am simply too lazy to post it up. And I can't deny that I was away for some time over the Christmas, where to? To Los Angeles, in Torrance, will put up a post of my trip later on when I am feeling less lazy... *chuckles*

Beeeef rendang... I love it, the strong aroma and taste of this dish never fails to make me wolf down more rice than I usually would. And this time, I decided to make my own so I never have to go round to hunt for it when my craving hits. As one knows, the key to beef rendang lies in the paste, and with my limited knowledge of spices and its counterparts, I didn't have much choice but to use a pre-packed paste. But I added kerasik which is grated coconut that has been toasted till brown, it was really easy with the pre-made paste. All I had to do was toast the grated coconut till brown and its nutty aroma fills the kitchen, making me feel dreamy all of a sudden... hmmm. The beef (either shin or top side can be used) is lightly brown to seal in its juices before being added to the paste which has been lightly cooked in oil and garlic, kerasik and water is added at the same time. Leave it to simmer for an hour or two depending  on the cut of the meat. When the beef is tender, remove the lit, use a bigger flame to reduce the liquid  in the rendang, it is done when you can see a thin layer of oil on the top which by then, the gravy should have thickened and it is ready to be enjoyed.

Well, the end product is not bad but the beef was a little too tough for my liking, shall use the top side in the future and the taste was not strong enough. I will be sure to make it from scratch the next time!